Crossroads, Winter 2005:
profiles in giving

Kirk Shisler: guided by his values wherever he ventures

One day 19 years ago, Kirk Shisler (C 81) was sitting in the
home of Grace Hefner, the mother of Playboy founder
Hugh Hefner. He didn’t know this. Shisler was simply visiting
and thanking loyal donors in his role as director of planned
giving for Laubauch Literacy International. As far as he knew,
Grace Hefner was a nice elderly woman who was enthusiastic
about promoting literacy around the world.

As Shisler, now vice president for advancement at EMU,
chatted in Mrs. Hefner’s living room, his hostess asked out of
the blue: ‘Would you like a tour of my home?’

“She made a beeline to her den on the first floor and
pointed to a large oil painting of a man in a purple robe with a
pipe in his hand. ‘Perhaps you’ve heard of my son Hugh?’ she
said with an impish smile.”

The man’s identity was underscored by the photos on a
nearby shelf of Hefner surrounded by some of his bunnies.
Amid the photos, Shisler spotted a Lucite paperweight
containing the image on a bronze medallion of the founder of
Laubach Literacy International, Dr. Frank C. Laubach.

Shisler has had years to reflect on the irony of finding
Laubach—a Christian mystic who wrote more than 30 books
on integrating prayer into every waking moment of a person’s
life—sharing his place of honor on Mrs. Hefner’s shelf with a
playboy and his playmates.

Actually it was Laubach’s writings, some of which Shisler
read for an EMU class called “Christian Discipleship,” that led
Shisler to be interested in working for Laubach Literacy (now
called Pro Literacy Worldwide).

“I felt drawn to the life and work of Frank Laubach, who
utterly embraced God’s invitation to pray ‘without ceasing’ and
who also linked the cause of literacy to issues of justice and
peacemaking.”

At the literacy organization—where Shisler’s planned
giving program amassed over $20 million in commitments—
Shisler first showed that his fundraising always is driven by his
values and principles, not vice versa.

Early in his career, in 1984, he visited a donor whom we
will call “Elizabeth.” She was interested in establishing a large
charitable trust for Laubach Literacy, but she did not have a
financial advisor. Shisler recalls that Elizabeth would have
readily transferred most of her assets to Laubach in an irrevocable
charitable trust.

“I was not comfortable with what she wanted to do,” said
Shisler. “I was concerned that she would not be able to provide
for herself if she needed long-term care. So I proposed that she
set up a revocable gift plan to enable her to retain access to her
assets if she needed them.”

The outcome was providential. Elizabeth is still living,
enjoying bountiful returns from her plan. She has shared these
returns with Laubach, giving the organization almost $1 million
of support.

Shisler has never forgotten that lesson. “By looking after
her welfare, we not only did the right thing morally, but the
cause of literacy was materially rewarded too.”

To accept the job as EMU vice president for advancement,
Shisler and his family—wife Mary Ann, 13-year-old Ben, and
11-year-old Andy—made sacrifices earlier this year. They left a
home in Syracuse, N.Y., and a church, Plymouth Congregational
(UCC), that they loved. The boys still miss their life-long
friends in Syracuse. They came to a region where housing costs
more than Syracuse. Adding to the adjustment, Shisler took a
pay cut though he gained twice as many work responsibilities.

In the face of these drawbacks, three things weighed in
favor of Shisler deciding to serve EMU.

Firstly and most importantly, Mary Ann and Kirk wanted
their boys to experience living and growing to maturity in a
Mennonite community. “It is our prayer that our sons will
benefit from the Anabaptist/Mennonite values that shaped our
formation,” says Shisler.

Secondly, Shisler felt moved to respond to the call issued
by his old friend, president Loren Swartzendruber. Loren had
recruited Shisler to EMC when Loren was a young admissions
officer in 1976. “I was impressed by Loren’s energy and enthusiasm
then, and I remain so today,” says Shisler.

Finally, Shisler had fond memories of EMC, where he
served as Weathervane editor, and he had family links to this
community. He wanted to “give back” some of what he had
received as a young college student.
—Bonnie Lofton (G 04)